Goodbye 2013 ~ Hello 2014

Rasm-e duniya bhi hai, mauqa bhi hai, dastoor bhi hai ….

For the past one week my FB news feed has been flooded with year-end surveys, awards, best-of and worst-of lists, the best-looking, the best-dressed, kaun in raha aur kaun out …. matlab ke sab kuch. Since ’tis the season and a round up of the year past is pretty much de rigueur, here’s my take on the good, the bad and the ugly of that which is now behind us …

When thinking of 2013 the first word that comes to mind is chaapa.. as in reiteration, as in recycling to the nth degree. We saw so many versions of same old same old that it was enough to make the mind boggle.

To begin with something very basic – the title. I have no clue why producers thought Daagh to be such an attractive name that we got not one but three serials with similar titles: Daagh, Daagh-e Dil and Daagh-e Nadaamat!

Along with the variants, 2013 was memorable for giving us serials with some of the most depressing titles. Don’t know about you all, but I for one did not get enticed by these dukhi names. Is it too much to ask for serials with happier names?

It was not just the title comer-uppers, even poster designers appeared to have settled in a comfortable rut. After all, why should they have bothered to come up with new ideas when nobody else was. The trend began with the Humsafar poster and since then creative juices seemed to have pretty much dried up.

Going green, another big trend, was the producers’ mantra not just in terms of plot lines, titles and poster designs, but equally applicable when it came to wardrobe selections. How many of you remember this particular caftan?

It was not just clothes, we saw houses, furniture and offices being repeated as well. Aur tau aur even dialogues/pet causes were reiterated in several serials. How many of you remember conversations about the bejaa asraaf on fancy shaadi cards? From Shehr-e Zaat to Mirat-ul Uroos to Zindagi Gulzar Hai, we were continually chastised to curb expenditure.

Of course, while were being lectured about bejaa asraaf, directors and producers had zero qualms about spending money on tons of glycerin, required for heroines’ tears, and wasting gallons upon gallons of water to manufacture rain. If Khirad and Ashar could frolic in the rain then why couldn’t other characters … after all unkey bhi kuch armaan they!

It was not just writers, directors and producers who went green and recycled stuff in 2013. Fawad Khan, arguably the most popular actor of 2013, also decided to chip in with his bit for saving the ozone layer. While a noble sentiment in and of its own merit, methinks its about time Mr. Khan went shopping in 2014. Aap ka kya khayal hai?

While the vast majority of what we saw was eminently forgettable, we did get a few gems here and there. Talkhiyan, to my mind, was the one serial that stood tall this year, and by tall I mean Burj Khalifa tall. The producers, Seema Razi and Razi Uddin Ahmed, deserve a huge round of applause for backing this very hat ke project. Bee Gul and Khalid Ahmed were brilliant in their story telling. I don’t think any of us who savored Talkhiyan are going to forget the crazy Silverwood gang in a hurry.

Apart from Talkhiyan, we also had Amna Mufti and Kashif Nisar’s Ullu Baraey Farokht Nahin, Mohammed Ahmed/Yasir Rana and Mehreen Jabbar’s Coke Kahani, Mohammed Ahmed and Marina Khan’s Tanhaiyan Naye Silsilay, Faiza Iftikhar and Haissam Husain’s Aik Nayee Cinderella and Aunn Zara. Alongside these serials, Mohammed Ahmed and Mehreen Jabbar’s Ghoonghat was a telefilm that more than held its own. In short, producers and channel heads please note these are the kinds of stories we would like to see more of in 2014.

Looking forward to 2014, my biggest request would be that could we please, please be done with the goody-two shoes, bechari, mazloom heroine?

And get more of these spunky, colorful girls?

This then, my friends, was my retrospective on the year that was… chaapas, formulas, recycling, reiteration and what not, there were aggravations galore. But then just when it seemed like all was lost we got those moments of brilliance, humor and charm that made it all seem almost worthwhile.

What were your memorable moments? Were there stories that spoke to you? Which were the characters that moved you, those that you identified with? Looking forward to reading your take on the dramas you loved and those that you loved to hate…

Absolutely agree.. chape pe chapa!!
I got back into my pakistani dramas late last yr, and since then i’d been playing catch up.. but after watching a few, i think now I can pretty much guess whats coming up next.. (well almost lol).. Yes i watched looaaadds of dramas in 2013!!..

I love the FK video… did u make that? chalo jaate jaate/ saal ke shuru mein hi Fk ki aik jahalak aur dikha di aap ne hahahah.. I never realized how much Mr Khan reused and recycled his wardrobe lol
and that maxi.. that was obviously the most popular fashion pc of the year that happenned to be the ‘IT’ item of the year…. not!!.. hahaha

and it wasn’t just the rain.. there was the pool too!!.. chahai khali hi ho, pani ho na ho, but pool zuroor ho!! lol.. Going green, one step further! lol
btw we had our Zaroon planting those lil plants for his kids, for oxygen too.. So yes this year was def greener… with less carbon print hahahaha.. Go Green Go!!

Thank you for bringing up the houses and offices.. that has to be my biggest rant abt our dramas.. Itna bara mulk hai, itni kami locations ki?? really??

This was also the year of anokha ladlas.. from Aunn to Wali, to Zaroon, sikandar from kankar, the KKC ka namoona, Azam from sannata…

The worst.. couldnt stand it dramas I came across were Daagh, ek tamanna lahasil si, Rishtey kuch adhoore se and Khoya khoya chand.. now something really major went wrong with Hum Tv and Fahad Mustafa.. Pls sort urselves out! .. im sure there is more junk out there that I haven’t even bothered with lol

Aunn Zara was one of my fav this year.. It was so nice to watch some light-hearted humour which wasnt completely alien or OTT.. (And now Im also enjoying Pyare AFzal.. maybe because its got the similar feel to it.. no roti dhoti heroine.. (or atleast not so far anyway..).. light, comical back-ground sound.. just light-hearted stuff..) Aur haan! Coke kahani was another lovely one like that! Thanks @SZ for recommending these two..

Talkhiyan was def a winner.. beautifully adapted.. We were discussing adaptations on another thread.. here we have a fine example of adaptations for dramatization.. It can work beautifully without over-stretching, addition of 100s of useless characters etc..

The most mind-blowing script has got to be Sannata with some real heavy-duty stuff!

@SZ Thanks to your post on telefilms found loads of telefilms.. and our Dr. Jahan Aara!!!

But the highlight of this year for me was Numm.. An original idea, much-awaited.. unfortunately, the biggest disappointment.. But watching it with ur blog, review and all the discussions, I have to admit I enjoyed that one the most!!!

Haan last but not the least, i wanna give the credit to Numm once again, that brought me to ur wonderful forum this year.. had lots of laughs and made some lovely freinds along the way.. Thank you @SZ once again!

@FA, socha k review pe comment karny se pehly apko feedback dy dun 😛 yaar really nice comment with all facts n figures..!! u have discussed in a very organized manner.. well done to u 🙂
ur comment about every serial is awesome..!!
again Numm 😛 hehe i knew that its not possible k FA ka comment ho aur Numm ki bat na ho..!! 😉 ab tou i have to watch it after matae jan..!!
same to u, have a blast year of 2014 with lots of peace n love around u.. 🙂

haha @FA, I’ll gonna watch it just for ur discussions 😛 so no worries now i have realized the rola of expectations na.. 😛 ab will only enjoy it! jesy enjoying matae jan! completed 13 episodes n I have to say that Haniya in Pakistan, is a perfect choice!

@FA – nice comment!
Glad you brought up the sister rivalry issue! Seriously what a bogus topic to discuss in every drama! Very unrealistic.. it never ever happens in real life!
and Second wives in every other drama as well.. It’s probably a new trend or something :-\

From your “dramas you couldn’t stand list” I think Daagh was a better drama then all those. Umama was not a mazloom aurat and she stood up for her rights in the end,.and FM was left alone! and thats how is should be been.. i liked that drama, but it dragged a bit! 🙂

@Ash awww thanks!
Ur pbbly right abt daagh.. but I was so fed up with it ke I just couldnt be bothered after a while lol.. If thats how it ended then ur right thats how it should be.. magar all that roti dhoti mazloom aurat.. and that diwana susral and a total 360 degree turn around of diwani muhabbat was something just put me off.. I thought FM was totally lame here!

Lol FA they seriously need to ponder over the marketing strategy you just put forth! I mean they have a wider clientele now with fair and lovely for men in the market, and after all whats better than a brand ambassador endorsing the product 5 days a week. A suggestion for FM: advertisements are the quickest way of making money so go ahead dude. We’re with you. 😛

@FA: though im still commenting at 2:30 am 😉 but is baar focus sara A per tha lol 😀 yaar u made some wonderful point on drama being adapted from novel..it can do wonders depends how you present it logically 🙂 not necessary every drama gets same treatment if they are adoption of novel..

@FA: Hahaha thanks for bringing in so many more rant-worthy things 🙂 :Love the Anokha Ladla category … we’ll definitely have to work that in somewhere in some post along the way!
And yes! what the heck were KKC and Adhoorey Rishtey all about??

@SZ lol@rant-worthy stuff.. Well as I always say jo maza rants mwin hai woh wah wah main kahan lol..
Uff KKC and Adhoorey Rishtey really got to me big time!! na sarr na pair!.. And I think if ever Ahsan Khan has to prove himself how lame & chichora he can look he just needs to mention KKC .. did u see the salman khan copy scenes in the bright orange?? ugh!!! and Maya was totally intolerable here!
Rishtey Adhoorey ki tou baat na hi ki jae tou behtar hai!!.. Im speechless! lol .. All i can say is aawe ka aawa hi bigra hai!
I think we had too many of compliceting Nikah issues this year.. two sisters one guy, and then nummm with its complicated nikah scenario.. im sure there were more..

btw looks like this two sisters one guy issue or even one girl two brothers is also on a rise! in with the bher chal fashion, with Bon roye aansoo and MSKSH that we already know of, I do wonder how many more other versions are already in the pipeline for 2014..

waoo @SZ, its too cool n superb yaar! now I have to say that m not only the fan of Sannata but also yours.. after having ur this review m really now thinking that what i had in 2013 or not.. otherwise news feed hundreds of posts towards new year did’nt caught my attention! 🙂

no doubt our drama industry is going on the top day by day and this fact made me proud on our industry that yeah pakistanis can do that and they have done..! 2013 had made lots of stars and celebrities, many groomed actresses and actors, new scripts, hit screen shows, novelty in their tradition but at the same time the factors u highlighted like green, buildings, shaadi cards n ufhh ZGH me Sara ki shopping in Dubai and Asmaraah’s visit with her friends to a concert without her parents, that was not easy for me to digest 😛 n @FA’s addition to the so-called pools (hahaha)..!! yeah that are the subtle things which people ignore to their bests as I personally don’t think that such additions or negations in the serials can affect their charms..!!

2013 in its beginning was too much busy for me and finally after 8 months of the year i got myself free from all study issues and turned back to the drama lists i had decided to watch when my ammi watched each n every of them lol 😛 araam se tassali se on youtube.. that was the very reason that I could’nt take part in all reviews but now i’ll make assure my presence as much as I can cuz ur reviews always won heart 🙂
So, to start from ur including list the line of ”daagh” naami serials lol 😛 i have’nt watched any of them like these depressing titles adhoori aurat,, baanjh etc.. however, these issues are as cruel and happening in our society but I think that every director is moulding himself to cast such serials pata nhi qn as in a single year one or two might be enough to highlight such issues.. I think on the whole, in the lists of such serial Reehaai by Farhat Ishtiaaq was far much better than these..!!

haha waoo what an observer u are..!! one bichara hero with one seedhi heroine and one his friend or something else 😛 Dil-e-muztar was an average as i watched it chalty phirty bcuz it was not much deserve a sit..! but lovin the sketch u portrayed!!

Ateeqa, Isra, Bushra and Hina are lookin like sisters really 😀 ahaha yeah there’s much monotony in lots of things u mentioned! wesy I personally admires green juts as its the colour of our Flag and loved Pak flag and cricket team so to me, addition of green was beautiful! but without these barish scenes ufhh Meri zindage hai tu is such a flop and Mery hamraahi as well!

Btw another thing I noticed is that 2013 was the year of pre-fix, ”mera, meri, mery” 😛 in dramas titles!!

hehe Fk’s wardrobe has suffered alot 😛 but have to say that Fawaad is Fawaad.. as @FA mentioned i also wanna say WTH is wrong with Fahad Mustafa >_< he done a great job earlier but don't know what happened to him he was one of my favts like Fawad but now.. eehhhh! ( FA me bhi confuse ho jati hun after type i re-read k kahen FA ka FK tou nhi bana diya lol)

suchi yaar these seedhi saadhi rooti dhhoti heroines are now not much to adore,, instead of them mansha pasha, sarwat gilani and saira yousaf are lookin much more relieved.! but have to say that 2013 was like best for Mansha pasha, she made herself in ZGH n now in MSKS as well!

Just loved ur Chaapa and recycled review of 2013 😛 its really the most beautiful surprise for today's discussion and brilliant tou ap hain he..! for me the memorable serials of 2013 is Ullu baraye farokht Nahi.! it was a brilliant and amazing serial n I just loved the work by whole team, every one was perfect and Nouman Ijaaz made the year! in light stuff, ZGH, Hamsfara and Aun zara were good..!

But to me, nothing could be more loving than Sannata as u all know 😛 pata nhi i also don't know the reason for why my feelings are too much intense for it but it is! So, I was here just for Sannata and now M thankful to it for making me a part of ur blog and sweet loving companions here like @FA, @Rehmat and yes U..! as m new here so not having a list of friends but all of u are too good guys and excellent as well! especially i never forget long debates with you FA.. and still in sha ALLAH will enjoy it more..!!

Be always blessed guys and have a very peaceful, prosperous and grand year with lots of best wishes and prayers! Love ur blog @SZ and lots of prayers for u as well to handle such a great n exceptional forum a are amazing 🙂

@Ayesha: Thanks for bringing up Mera Meris and Hamareys … So right!!!
UBFN was fab! I started reviewing it but then went away for 5 weeks and by the time I came back there was never any time to catch up, so couldnt continue with reviews …but Irsa was exceptional as was your fave 😉 Are you gonna watch Saba’s new drama Bunty I love you? And what do you think of her Miss-Fire?
Its been fab having you on board .. you’ve added much to our discussions,and I look forward to continued conversations in 2014 🙂

@SZ, awww I missed UBFN’s reviews 😥 if I would be there M sure u would have to catch up the thread but chalo! not only Isra but I think all of them were fab there expect that Samra and arshad lol..! Nouman Ijaaz, Saba Qamar, yumna zaidi, Suhail Abbas, Nouman masood and the whole cast was flawless for me.! they worked hard for it but did’nt achieve what they deserved 😦
mein aur Saba Qamar ka koi serial chor dun its not possible 😛 her die hard fan! yeah catching Miss Fire and I think if its not so good than not so bad, sit-coms in our industry are the same but here seriously m enjoying Maya, mona, momee, sheery and Jamal! if Maya’s role would be played by any other, def i could’nt watch it any more 😉
and about Bunty I Love You, i’ll def watch it with all my concern eagerly waiting for 5th jan and expectations are high as Saba Api clarifies herself that she’ll not do any common or sister’s rivalry scripts, so the main reason is only Saba Api 😀 wesy i think it will be awesome, and its always good to watch favourite celebrities in something new!

@Ayesha.. awww thanks for rechecking your A and K lol.. Honestly I dont mind.. As I said I’ve caught the bug myself lol 1
lovely to have met u here too!..yes, those Sannata discussions were looong.. with all their tool-o-arz lol

Hahahaahah I JUST LOVED THE FK VIDEO! Did you make it??? Awesome man! 😀 I think we need to show Fawad this video sooner. Shows like you did a commendable research on his wardrobe lol. Can I do the hair-splitting thing for your video? :-p the brown sweater he wore to the Humsafar morning show was actually A BIT different. baaki sub was perfectly same! You know he went to Dubai for shopping before he went to shoot for ZGH ,early January 2012. I was expecting his clothes to be diferrent from Humsafar but ended up disappointed. Khair I think the best by far for him has to be the diversity of his shirts and suits in Humsafar, uskay baad tou there’s a serious depletion we see. Ozone layer deplete ho na ho, FK ki wardrobe ho gaee lol.
I’ll like to make my contribution to his wardrobe part, if you don’t mind :-p You forgot his PBT 100 waali shirt, red shirt which had the sign of a globe on it, his purple shirt, a white shirt with black line at collar, a white shirt with an orange line at collar, his SO FAMOUS cream pants, his black leather jacket and his orange/mustard check shirt too. I guess that’s all for now. Much of sharing my obsession with everyone here :-p BTW where’s ZGH in the dramas list? Your unexpected reviews are always a treat to read. AH-MAZING! I’m on my way to Fawad frenzy after watching your video and reading my comment again too 😉

@Fizza – I think the clothes you are talking about were strictly worn in Humsafar. I didnt see those polos, tees in any other drama.
His Humsafar wardobe was my favorite!! Especially his business casual look!

yes, I too loved his look in Humsafar. It has been Fawad’s best till now. And I miss that Asher look. As for the wardrobe I was talking about it’s mixed- from all his concert videos, to his interviews to events he attended and then his dramas. Sab mein pehen chuka hai. 😛

haha @Ash their creativity comes out after this pre-fix 😛 sure sure without fawad screen will be bored from heroes sided..! but now my first observation would be Fawad’s shirt and the reminder whether its new or not lol 😀 true bichara and anookha tareen laadla hai na @FA?? 😀

@AyeshaL yea tau kuch nahin hai .. I’m sure @Fizza could remind you of so many more such repetitions going back 2008/09 …. I was skimming through Dil Deke Jayenge the other day and I saw some shirts from that era that he still wears 🙂

Omg great piece of writing, so so true!! Big fat LOL at FK ka video… Did you make it??? That was the most hilarious video ever!!! Haha bechara, how does he know people are scrutinizing his every outfit?!?!

@SK: hahaha! Glad you enjoyed it .. Yes, I did! I thiught you’d have figured it out, all those rants about FK’s clothes .. had to do something with those 😉
LOL! I don’t know if he does, but wouldn’t it be funny if he saw this!

A lovely year end post indeed!
Like everyone else, must agree, so organized and so much effort put into it! 🙂

Now if only the producers, writers and directors would take their viewers seriously, and change some things around.

Honestly beyond bored with all the crap on tv nowadays…ready to give up on Pakistani dramas.
Whoever is in charge of the content on GEO, really needs to find a new career. Every single drama has the same sad faces, same story, same houses, makes you want to almost kill yourself.
To name a few, Kalmoohi, Ranjish hi Sahi, Meri Zindagi hai tu… ugh ugh!

Drama of the year has to be Talkhiyan for me. The only one that had a gripping storyline, great cast. Sanam Saeed was remarkable, as were the kids.
Minus all the loopholes and poor storytelling, I enjoyed Zindagi Gulzar Hai, just because of the romantic scenes between Zaroon and Kashaf. Everything else about drama was pretty much the same, wohi rhona dhona and sad stories, pieces from Mirat Ul Uroos, Kankar, etc etc.
Coke Kahani and TNS were also really good, light hearted dramas!

Let’s see what 2014 has to offer. Hopefully, new talent and some people who have been MIA, with newer exciting stories. Although the three upcoming serials on HumTv have Adnan Siddiqui in them.. sighhhhhhh

@Ash: I was laughing as i was reading your comment and thinking of how much I;ve missed reading your straight from the heart no holds barred comments. I completely agree with you on ” Whoever is in charge of the content on GEO, really needs to find a new career” … actuallly morethan that the peson in charge of AnB… one depressing drama after another .. 😦
Also yes so true abt Adnan Siddiqui in three bacck to back serials, and to think Darmiyan just ended! What I dont get is why is Adnan transforming into Ahsan Khan? Wasnt one main-har-serial-main-hoon type of actor enough???

@FA: yes, the Chinese might call 2014 the year of the horse, magar for our industry 2014 is the year of the return of the older heroes…. Humayun Saeed in Bin Roye Ansoo and Adnan Siddiqui in Ru Baru, Mere Humdum Mere Dost, and Ahista Ahista….

@SZ the highlight for me is the FK video. My salute to the person who came up with the idea. It shows much more creativity and ingenuity as compared to many of the dramas mentioned.
TNS, Coke Kahani and Aunn Zara were standout for me. (You can guess I am not enamored much by sad stories) ZGH was great for the chemistry between the leads and Numm for the writers it brought out in all the viewers and giving us such great never ending discussion topics.

Numm is also a standout as I dont think apart from FB admins anybody really liked the drama but it was like a drug which nobody wanted to miss , we all watched it and ranted about it. There was hardly anything to rave about it apart from of course FK. I am still having withdrawal symptoms every Saturday.

@PG: Glad you enjoyed the video .. haha! good, now I will go apply for a job at Geo, I think they are the ones who are in serious need of some new ideas 😉
Yes, true I missed out on Numm and ZGH, apologies, I had fully intended to, but somehow just totally slipped my mind, I dont know how! But never fear, I think if I can find the time I will try to squeeze in a one off posts like this one every 4-6 weeks, which will be thematic rather than a proper review ..so we will have Numm and ZGH pop up regularly enough 🙂
And indeed Numm will remain special for all of us here .. I dont think I have ever enjoyed discussing a serial as much as I did Numm.. Humsafar was fun too, but this was a whole other level 😉

@SZ Yay!! chalo ji we and Geo have some hope now in our dramas for next year now lol..
btw the one off posts sound like so much fun!.. looking forward to those already!
@PG @SZ honestly if it wasnt for the busy holiday season i’d be so lost without the Numm laughters.. ur spot on! It was indeed like a drug.. we knew in our hearts it was no good really but we just couldnt help ourselves!

Hello @Habiba: Thank you for breaking your silence and finally joining in 🙂 Glad to hear from you! Haha! glad you enjoyed the FK video 🙂 And thank you also for following AZ on my recommendation. Glad to know you enjoyed it
LOL! Not sure what diff my age makes but suffice it to say like many of our other friends here, I too am a wife and a mother. Re my perspective: I watch dramas just like you all do, some with dimagh in the off mode and some with the dimagh ki bati fully switched on.. so depending on what Im watching, my reviews range from heavy duty philosophy to reminiscing about fairy tales and Harelquin romances 🙂
Ab, now that you are hereI hope we will continue to hear from you!

FANTASTIC article SZ! I just LOVED FK’s video. What a creative piece! Who ever made it MUST think about starting a project as a Director:)
I so agree with all your Rants! I have hated the” sister-snatches the husband” type stories. And then the new favorite is the multiple wives and Sautan’s. Then the ‘bechari bahu’ the ‘bitchy nand’, and chirchri saas. As if that was not enough we are now exploring the world of sub normal/border line IQ / retarded heroines. I hope that does not take on because we will get so many stories with moron heroines that we may ourselves end up in the mental asylum! You know I found out from a friend who is a writer that some one said to him’ village ki story mat likho – dekho ‘ UBFN’ bilkul flop hogai- tou asay karo bachon ki story likho – jaisay ‘ man kay moti’ kyon kay ratings aarahi hain” can you imagine? no wonder we are flooded with the same stories from each and every channel!
I was not able to see ‘Talkhiyan’ but will do so once I get some time. Watching Sannata though and have fallen in love with EVERYTHING about it. I love the script, the dark ‘ Wuthering Heights’ type feel about the drama and the stories of each of the complicated characters. Totally admiring Kashif Nasir’s Direction. He has kept it top notch. Hope the new year brings more dramas like that and yes no more dumb roti dhoti women please!!

@yF: my God, i can’t believe that UBFN’s story is taken as a village story.! what to say, m totally amazed yani k kaachy pakky houses and ignorant characters are taken just as a village’s story, they could’nt be able to understand that what was the theme behind it 😦 UBFN was my top favt before Sannata and it is still second and I disappoint a lot from most of our audience that they took UBFN as a BORED serial thats why its Trp ratings were as low as i even can’t imagine.. bullshits like Mann k mooti, Asmano pe likha, Meri zindage hai tu etc, make top ratings and UBFN, sannata make low graph bcuz people consider it as village story, daraoona drama! wesy too sad fact!

@yf: Thank you thank you nawazish… glad you enjoyed the video 🙂
If you love UBFN and Sannata you must watch Talkhiyan.. Interestingly enough though it was equally and disturbing it never felt dark… Khalid Ahmed the dir and Naveed Ahmed the DoP were fantastic in how they managed to offset the narrative darkness with the bright blue skies, the lush Muree locales. Hina B and Sanam Saeed and the kids, actually everybody was amazing.. Would love to hear what you think of it..
Yes, totally hear what you’re saying re: UBFN.. I have heard similar complaints from so many other writers as to how they are pressurized by channel heads and producers to write “easy” stories.. So its not that we dont have good writers, we do,,, just that their creativity is being curbed by those in charge of running the show. I hear that’s a big reason why Anwar Maqsood stopped writing … can you imagine him writing screenplays which show people dancing in the rain or men abusing their wives or these silly sautan, behen, saas, and extra marital affairs???

@yf u r so righ abt sub normal IQ.. we saw a whole load of characters who needed psychiatric help!! Kadoorat.. woh kia tha? Neelum in Numm talking to imaginary trees.. hamari gadhee from MSKSH… being some of the most obvious ones.. but there were also loads of others who needed help!! kiss kiss ka naam lein..
there is also Pari from Sannata but shukr hai she seems to be getting a proper ilaaj! and also our Dr.jahan aara from express telefilms who is out there to lend a hand! So we did get to see some positive on that front too..

Like FA, I too landed on this forum because of Numm. And I’m glad about it 😀 You’re so right about the locations and houses. The house where Kashaf and her family used to live has been shown to death in dramas even before ZGH. And now this house which has two lions at the foyer is being shown repeatedly. Har doosra drama uss ghar mein hota hai. Tauba!
Apart from this, I’m too tired of this ‘Mera’, ‘Meri’, ‘Meray’ waalay dramas. Meray Hamrahi, meri maa, meri beti, meri dulaari, meray harjaai, and now I wonder how many more to come :-S
This sister-sister rivalry too is getting on my nerves. It started off with maat and has been incessantly used up til now. I don’t know if it does happen, but for me it’s too un-natural and far from reality.
As far as mazloom heroines are concerned I think Rumaisa should not be in the list. There’s a hell of a difference between ‘mazloom’ and ‘aqal sey paidal’ aur woh bandi for sure aqal se paidal hai! 😛

lol @Fizza, same from my side. I’ve also mentioned these ”mera, meri, mery” 😛 just fed up from such titles! and yeas the sister’s rivalry as well! haha lol ur ghussa for Romaissa is hell true 😛 same from my side she deserves 2 thappar to be insaano jesi heroine really her sseda pana is not much tolerable

@Fizza: Chalo, what do you guys say ke hum sab mil ker aik script likhtey hain and send it to AnB … remember they were looking for writers? I am sure that after all that Numm has taught us we can come with a very good story line, which has none of the themes above ;… kiya khayal hai??

And, absolutely, it is thanks to Numm ke we are all here .. lets hope that 2014 brings us more such dramas .. good, discussion worthy dramas 🙂

Are they looking for writers?? :O oh! I guess thats the reason they’re shifting to Turkish content and producing those dramas I think we need to suggest your name to the AnB team, and then our whole team can assist you if you want us to. Because otherwise we’ll have to bear with more of rona dhonas and two girls- one guy sort of stories in future *sigh* 😛

@Fizza haina! that houses with two lions!! and the other one with the bay window!! and the MeJ house with the pool and the ugly grand house with two staircases either side coming down in the hall.. these 4 houses r in 90% of our dramas..
believe it or not, i recently spotted kashaf’s house in ZGH in a telefim in late 80s/early 90’s…

btw the shopping scene means a trip to park towers in khi,.. and most of the time any khana peena outside has gotta be at one of the restaurants at dou darya.. (yes the same old place at the sea front..) aur wo nahin tou ab tou Port grand.. thats all the locations summed up i think!!

Oh haaaan! I totally forgot that house with two staircases! it’s so damn gaudy. And enough of that pool house too :-p Waisay come to think of it, it’s a good revenue generating strategy! The Kashaf- house waalay owners might have shifted to another house on rent and given this one for shooting on a handsome amount. Profit ka profit plus they see their asset being marketed too 😛 oh yeah! I see my accounting brain working 😀

@Aisha: Salaam.. no:( there are so many current dramas going on and what with the reviewing and all just havent had a chance to go back and watch anything older.. but it is my to-watch list and will def let you know whenever I do 🙂

You made me recall 2013 in such beautiful way.. Reason being some of the coolest dramas you mentioned that always bring smile on my face.. Talkhiyaan (which i always owe you for recommending 🙂 thank you for sharing OST again.. I watched it and relived the moments of silverhood.. Zoyee,jugnu,janoo baba, bibi, mama jaani, apoo..some of the unforgettable characters in my drama list.. This one i felt spoke to me that 40 mins of my life were just with them, feeling for them.. Zoyee, bibi and jugnu moved me to bits.. The love twins had for eachother, how they got separated.. Ahh it moved me like anything 🙂

This drama along with Coke Kahani didnt made me felt that its getting boring.. Though CK was just 13 episodes..but every epi was a class in itself..how can i forget ever loving Mutmain Nusrat couple which gave a tough competition to Asher-Khird 😀

Next was Tanhaiyaan Naye Silsilay.. Ost was beautiful.. Marina, Behroze, Shehroze and Syra were honestly the reasons i watched and enjoyed..this real life couple brought some freshness overall..

Talking about freshness.. Aunn Zara was indeed one type of that drama.. No bitchy saas, no khoonkhar phopoo and akroo dadi but what we saw was 3 gem of ladies and our anokha ladla and ladli 😉 where as dadi was hilarious, daady and phopoo were amazingly cute and coming to their level of chemistry was aunn-mazhar friendship.. Totally enjoyable 😀

Then it was UBFN.. Again thanks to you 🙂 it was very captivating.. But it got dragged and even after skipping large amount of epi.. I didnt felt that i have missed so much.. Some brilliant performances, great writing and direction, and wonderful bg score.. I loved ubfn only wished it could have got shorter.. Silvatein was another one which was simply too good till epi 14 phir tou bhayee pata nhn kya tha drama me.. Last 8-9 episodes were absolute rubbish.. Still i would not call silvatein was bad or boring for most of the part i thoroughly enjoyed 🙂

Numm is actually exceptional.. Cant say loved/hated this one because every saturday i just couldnt control to watch this drama only because of Sania Saeed.. She was phenomenal here.. Script was different too.. 🙂

Now the highlight of your review.. That wardrobe video.. If you have made that,then hats off to you SZ.. Its hilarious and shows the hardwork.. I knew the clothes are being repeated but seeing in video made me laugh like crazy,. And totally agree with you on all points about depressing serial names, limit of copying scenes and dialogues and recycling of clothes..

We seriously need original scripts to enjoy our dramas and on this note i really 2014 brings a good variety of dramas 🙂

@Rehmat: Your comment is enticing me to go back and re-watch Talkhiyan.. kya drama tha .. remember Appo and her continuous taanas of neeley peelay bacche and my feet are so pretty ….that scene where she and Zoyee were comparing their feet was so fab! And all other scemes with Jaanu baba showering candies, Zoyee’s birthday party, Monty and the way he messed with Bibi, and Zoyee and Jugnu’s plan to sail away to Africa, the older Ziya and her narration, Bibi, Mama, all so so good!!! Really wish Bee Gul and Khalid Ahmed’s next one comes within this year and it equally mesmerizing!

@FA: yes they are, no details out as yet … waisey I’d rather be surprised, so far none of the much-anticipated and over hyped dramas have managed to live up to expectations.. remember ZGH, Ashk Numm, and now Bin Roye Aansoo… god alone knows how that ones going to turn out

@All: I’m so glad you guys enjoyed the FK video .. yes, I am guilty as charged 🙂 It took an insane amount of time find all those clothes that I knew he had repeated but could not pin point right away! Yes @Fizza, you are right many still left out, but khair Im sure FK will provide us with many more opportunities to create many more videos like this one 🙂
Btw, a random anecdote, my attention was first drawn to this song when I heard FK using the phrase ” warna main pinky ho jaonga” or something along those lines, a part of the memorable panga bolo scene in KPKP… I had no clue what the phrase meant so asked Samira Fazal and she said that it was from this particular song.. so a huge thank you to Samira Fazal for this song 🙂

@SZ bas bbhai bas kia baat hai aap ki! kamal kitta tussi!
like @PG said u r better than most of creative teams out there.. so are you taking up @yf’s tip and thinking of taking up a project?? I think u should!!

@FA, @SZ, guys just watching 15th epi of Matae Jan,wao! thanxxx to both of u for suggesting it! Im quite emotional this time, all scenes are captured with a great brilliance, Hina khuwaja as Hajra, awesome! perfect act, her entry to Aaabi’s home, chemistry with Hajra and Uzair.. specially the hospital scenes of Hajra and Haniya, when Haniya says ”mama” ”baba”.. awwww reminded me the novel time even i wept alot while reading the novel and now cried with Haniya.. sarwat is lovely as Haniiya she did an exceptional job! especially i loved her hairs bcuz Haniya’s hairs were straight from the head and had natural curls from bottom! she’s speechless now m regretting why I missed that 😦 its soo much heart-touching 😦

@Ayesha Awww! Im glad you r enjoying it..
Uff the hajra haniya scenes r just another league.. her entry into Aabi’s house.. looking at his pic.. and hajras when she asks her to call mama.. uff I cried like a baby when she says mere kaan taras gae the! HB was fab!!
theres more to come.. it just gets better and better from here.. so enjoy!.. keep a box of tissues handy though..

@Ayesha: So glad you were able to go beyond the begining eps .. the later ones are realy good! And yes Hina B is awesome! Sarwat was fab after she came to Pakistan .. and haan abhi to the best ever episode is in store for you .. batana kaisa laga! 🙂

@SZ, @FA, here’s finally I am after completing 17 episodes of Matae Jan! bundle of thanxx to both of u 😥 for making me cry again 😥 awwww Matae jan Meri jan hau tu*****
honestly the first few episodes were the same from I was fed up off but I just go on with it and as the epis were ascending, were getting more n more strength! i have completed it in just 4 days! from Haniya and Aabi’s love story to the last, i enjoyed each n every moment! i laughed again when haniya excused to him in his flat and ask him to propose her.! awww Sarwat is just fab here! honey moon scenes even the cottage was excellent! I’m crazzy about u wali tee shirts, sea shouts of ”Haniya I love u”, Aabi’s cooking and Haniyaa’s nakhry! that were just excellent guys.! Im in love with them these were the same as i read in the novel like my favt characters are alive here!

So, about the tissues u say @FA, ahhhh 😦 tissues were not enough yaar 😦
As i knew already that Aaabi is gonna die but it affected me as a shock can affect us! I start crying from the scenes where Haniyaa meets hajra first time, their hospital scenes yaar 😥 that was heart-throbbing! same to me, when she called her ”mama” my tears were not in my control!! and the same with Uzair when haniya asks ”me apko uncle bolon” and he says ”baba qn nhi”.. Haniyaa was like living there for me the tears in her eyes 😦
then her weeping in Aabi’s room, his picture his bedroom goods in haniya’s heart and eyes awww 😦
haniy’s condition especially when she heard Aaabi’s shouts and yaminaa says ”haniya aabi nhi rha” the way she act, ”ssshhhh”’ my God, i can’t believe! Sarwat won me there! hospital campus, road, and finally carmel for suicide! aahhh… guys, i just wanna say I loved both of them, I love Sarwat here when she hugs Aaabi and kisses his hand.. ahhh.. sigh sigh sigh! i watch all these with fully sunked into tears! in novel, Aabi was weeping when he comes in Haniya’s dream but I think here, his 2 small tears and Sarwat were just enough to made it as much as it could be!

Thank U soo much guys for giving me such beautiful 4 days, especially these memorable pieces of act! i want to share more but how much, it will be not enough for me! as when i read the novel, 4 years ago, i was in my teen ages and at that time emotions and romance attract much more! I just thought that now it may be would not have been able to capture my senses as it had before 4 years, but I was totally wrong! I realized this Matae jan is Matae Jan! as much i loved haniya and Aabi here i loved the same Sarwat and Adeel, Hajra and Uzair, mama jani and all! awesome job by them!
can’t forget this now! its fabulous amazing marvellous!

@ayesha awww!
Now how emotional was that aabi’s bedroom scene! 😥
And when hajra had that motherky instinct that something aint right.. Ufff HB was amazing!! And the janaza scene.. Log mashallah bhi nahin bolte.. I still havent read the novel but ive been told that hajra’s role in the book is quite small but for me Meri jan hai tu was just as much of hajras line as it was for aabi and haaniya.. How she says mama ki jaan its just heart-quenching! And ive been told that aabi never came back to pak in the original novel.. But for me that trip is what makes it what it is! So again I think in many ways the drama had its own charm..

But i think its a drama one needs to watch in one go rather than weekly episodes.. I can see how the first few episodes can be a bit of a drag.. But once ur after that one is in for one hell of an emotional ride!!

Godh im going on and on again.. Cant help it..Honestly ive watched this so many times and everytime i cry like a baby!

@FA, yaar I think emotional is a lil word for it! I also can’t help myself to go on n on even I watched the last two episodes 2 times at once and it was not enough still! ahhhh!
Ahhh my God, her ”mamaa ki jan” just touched my heartbeat! I loved every moment she uttered ”Aabi! mama ki jan” and yaar this ”Maatae jan, meri jan hai tu”.. is def having more weight in Hajra’s context than that of Haniya.. but in Aabi’s bedroom ”matae jan, meri jan hai tu”, was nothing more than both of U! I think the way it has expanded to both of the ladies regarding Aabi is perfect! that grave with ”Mama baba ka Aabi”.. was’nt it exceptional?? all that qabar scenes! OMG! speechless!

yaar novel was as the same drama is expect yamina’s part is an addition! Hajra’s role was not small in the novel it was as same as a perfect mother shown here even emotions are on the top in the book! ”Aabi, mamaa ki jan” has the same affect in the novel as well!
aur han Aabi never come back in Pak in the novel, he was died at Saudia, when he was returning from his Tayaa’s home! but the change in drama is beautifully done! even u know Aabi and Anooshay were not together in their engagement (in book)..! wesy yaar honestly I suggest u to read the novel once, U’ll become more attached to them as the novel was just revolving around Aaabi, haniya, Hajra and Uzair.. and emotional attachment u’ll feel it more when urself be captured by the words! chalo me ne tumhari bat maan k play dekha aap novel parho yaar honestly like Maza Aa Jaye Ga! if u get time, parhna and than mujhe batana how’d u feel ok??? 🙂 (I swear dil mahcal rha hai ghanto lambi discussions karny ka Aabi Haniya se related n lots of things to share with u about the novel even about writer that how she come to write this etc! sb kuch maloom kar rakha hai bandi ne 😛 )

but its simply awesome! n I just loved badly loved these four people here! Sarwat, Hina, Adeel and javeed sheikh! All has made these characters alive! awwww that janaza scene ”’log ma sha ALLAH bhi nhi bolty”, it was touching the strings of my heart 😦

@Ayesha I have actually started on the novel but life being so busy and topsy-turvy right now I have only managed to finish the first chapter.. but as soon as I will I get some time I am hoping to read it.. The start is def good..

@RJ: I completely agree with your comment … this is bherchaal indeed .. and yes audiences ko to har koi blame karta hai magar producers too are not willing to take the risk. And if there are brave producers who take the risk, then un key dramon ka woh hashar hota hai ke bas. If you remember my reviews of Talkhiyan I had talked about this exact issue … drama khareed liya but then zero publicity .. how is the audience to know about the product. They did hte same with Aunn Zara, Remember when A-Plus stopped airign Aunn Zara after the first ep b/c they wanted to re-launch it with proper publicity? And then when it did re-launch there was no publicity no nothing. So yes, while this post was funny it was also intended to highlight the rut our industry has settled in…

@RJ: *high five*!!
I so so agree with your take on black and white characters and characters stretched out so much that they lose all our empathy/sympathy. This is exactly what my problem was with Rafia in ZGH (I wish you’d been there then!) I felt for her and her tooto chapal and bijli ka bill issue when it firs aired .. but us ke baad har waqt wohi baat became a bit too much, almost turned into a joke. Similarly her being too too good was also a bit diff to handle. If you remember, in the after show, Samina herself said that when she read the character, she too felt that the woman should be a little bitter but then the director/producers convinced her otherwise.

To be fair though, as far as stretching out of characters goes, this has less to do with writers and more to do with producers who want a 25 episode serial. If you look at it ZGH was a novella, MSKSH is also based on a novella … now if that short story is spread out over 23-26 eps then such issues will definitely definitely happen. Sab se bara rupaiiyaa *sigh*!!

Re: Warda in ANC… again I am with you in that why do we have only one type of a heroine .. preferably gori, lambe(preferably seedhey) baal, big eyes, round/oval face, thin, ,, and then when we have somebody who is slightly off that stereotype, she gets all the “ugly” plain/Jane type characters …Kashaf in ZGH for instance. Have you seen Samira Fazal’s telefilm Apple Pie? It was her first piece of writing.. the reason why I mention it is because for once you had a heroine who was “normal” as in not think as a stick and not “beautiful” and she fell in love with a hero type guy .and I liked that she was treated as a normal persin rather tha being turned into a butt of fat jokes. ZSamira again brought this up in Vasl, where Juggan’s character has insecurities regarding her weight, but Ahsan Khan’s character accepts her as she is .. she then loses weight b/c she wants to, not b/c she is forced to…. So hats off to @Samira F for her true to life characterizations. I also like the Baraat series for this reason, where Uroosa’s character marries Taka and her weight is never an issue …

Re: the YT links, sure, thanks for reminding me.. I will post alternative links for episodes or serials etc when I post them. The exceptions here would be the videos I make, for instance the FK vdo in this post, or the RIP video in hte Numm post. I have a YT account where I upload these… and I dont have a daily motion or tune pk account … so cant do those .. sorry! Perhaps you can use spotflux or any other software to watch them? Would love to know how others in Pk are watching YT videos.. please do share!

Haha! Dont worry about typos. As I was telling somebody the other day, no matter how much you check, the minute you post, pata nahin kaise khud ba khud hi typos ho jatey hain!

@RJ Ur comment reminded me our Peer Manzar and the bromance from Aunn Zara.. I think the jori of the year 2013 for me was def Aunn ! .. and @SZ btw loved ur poetry there dedicated to our peer sahab.. I remember watching that back to back along with ur review and discussions and lauging my head off!! My husband declared me crazy that day!! lol

And what about that dress that zaroon wore in beach scene? He wore that in Tarang TVC’s BTS as well. 😛 (PS: In ZGH, he was wearing that while he was only with Kashaf on beach and he was wearing the same when he was with his kids on beach. Quite a shock. Nahi? Matlab 4 ya 5 saal guzar gaye or bachay bhi ho gaye lekin dressing and style is the same. :P)

i have watched so many of these.The most memorable are Bilquese qaur (not sure of the year).It was the first serial I watched on your recommendation and it was so good.good. Bushra Ansari brought the character to life. It was so different from the formula dramas.
Tanhiyan naye silsaley had polar opposite views It was loved or hated.I was on the ‘love’bandwagon.Despite it flaws and short comings here and there nut I thought it was so enjoyable .I never saw it in the prospective of comparing it to the earlier version.To me Marina did a great job in directing it. Muhammad Ahmed sb. is such a gem of a person.He took all the criticism, the ,ost of which wasn’t even justified so well.Hats off to a great guy.
Coke Kahani was another fab serial.A true comedy which made a lasting imression.The direction was superb and the actors cracked me up so much .A high point of that year ….
Askh (agian not sure of the year)hahhaaaaaa…it was such a train-wreck that I still can’t help laughing.Poor FK seemed so lost in the play as if he was realizing what he had gotten himself into.Poor Mehreen Raheel.This girl couldn’t really catch a break. With zindagi gulzar hai,here .I guess she has been casted in so many stereotypical roles that she lost all her relevance.
As far as I remeber I had a lot of problems with Zindagi Gulzar hai. Kashaf was way to head strong.I never connected with her to the very end.It sure was a messed up way to show women empowerment .Zaroon again was I think not a well defined chracter. At times he came of as arrogant prick others such a whiner.Anyhow it was a huge commercial success.The few episodes I enjoyed was when the marriage finallyyyy happened.It took us ages to get there.And one where Sanam Saeed and FK had few sweet moments.Like Kashaf staring at the moon and Zaroon prasing her,and him staying at her place with no light no water.I watched it in a repeat telecast to.On the second viewing it seemed much better.Frankly there was so much rubbish around by them that this was a welcoming break. I think if you are not trying to interpret it much it is a good commercial play. Ofcourse Fawad Khan is an eye candy and Sanam Syed tried to humanize Kashaf as much as she could.
I watched mohabbat subh ka sitara hai but honestly I don’t remeber much from it.Pretty much shows that it left no lasting impression.Ok just googled it and now I remember poor Romaisa .As far as I remember Sanam Jung has the same expression throughout the series. And yes there was a poor kid who was always playing alone .Zalim saas ,dream husband who dies and a stiff second husband. Okay that’s most of what I recall. It was though after this serial I decided that I don’t have to religiously watch everything by Umera Ahmed. What a disappointment!
I stayed away from all the ‘Daag’ serials . Daag ,daag e nadamat,daag e qurabt ,daag e frqat,daag e muzzamat,they were every where.Those who are not still made please join the club.
Ok kulmohi got legit bad.It was so deprived of any joy that I left it after a few episode in. Thankfully stayed away from banjh and such dreaded plays.Like who in there right minds was suggesting such names.
Num again bored me so much.Sania Saeed is such a good actress but even she couldn’t make it happen. FK was again given a poor chracter.I guess the poor guy fled to bollywood after such misses.
Mate jaan I think was a year before.I am so messing up the dates here.It was a good play no doubt.I liked Adeel as abi so much .What a fine actress Sarwat Gelani is! Hina ,Javed Shiekh all did an excellent job.It was a bit slow but got better with every episode.
Ok the one I will never forget is Talkiyan. Talk about perfection!!! I loveeeddddd Sanam Saeed .I never realized she was such a phenomenal actress before this.The story was so well written that I can go on and on.The direction SUPERB. The way scenes were shot , the lights ,the mood …never seen anything fitting so perfectly together.It dealt with such taboo subjects that needed to be shown.Shamim Hilali and Hina were so good.Hina gave a perfomanse that to day haunts me.It def. is her best work.I think everyone of the cast came on your blogs and explained so much. All of them were so humble. They explained so much going in backdrop.I guess they realized we were the most really going nuts after this serial.Bee Gul you have done what no one in our recent times could do.You have produced a true master piece. And the back drop score …please give them every award possible.’Mujh say ab meri mohabbat kay fasanay na kaho’ truly touched me.Never I came across better melody and lyrics in our plays.Still sach a fond of the song.The apt use of ”çasablanca” behind Sanam’s walk ..can’t say enough Perfection.Sanam was really enthusiastic about this performance in comparison to ZGH .She clearly indicated it many times here.The child artist Zoya and Jugnu gave such heart wrenching performance.With a play this powerful ( I am running out of adjectives) you remember almost everything like ‘life is a pickle’. Like the tragic mood of the play the play got a tragic reception. People I guess still like to go for cliched stuff and true thought provoking , dense and realistic stuff frightens them. The ones who saw it loved it but there was a minor population who watched this.I do have a eternal beef with Express Entertainment for not at all promoting it well.
While ZGH hai becomes such a hit ,this much superior play goes unnoticed. Life is not fair 😦
Anyhow love that we got to watch this atleast and thanks for pushing us all to watch this. I remember you used to post every episode here.First shot of the play and I was hooked.
Whew that’s about sums it.I have had a fantastic time on your blog. I loved interacting with so many people here and how we all become a close knit community. I have so many fond memories how we used to dissect from dialogues,to wardrobes ,makeup almost everything. I passed through some very tough times in past and your blog has helped me so much in moments of despair.It took my mind of the troubles and helped me stay connected. I remember there came a time when i had problem writing a straight sentence but no one ever discouraged or mention it. Infact everyone was so loving that I will always be connected to this place. SZ you are still the best ,the effort you put in this ,the way you have given so many of us for a place to rant and rave ,I am forever indebted.
Damn it got way too serious so I ‘ll remember Ashk which still makes me giggles.<3

Aah! Those were fun fun days! As you can see though my complaints were pretty much similar to all the stuff we talk abt these days but there was still a naïveté, a genuineness about the industry and the actors that shown through – as in this case with fk wearing his own (very limited) wardrobe for dramas. Aajkal tau it’s hard to find anything real abt the either the stars or the industry .. everything is so contrived and blah now ..
I used to do these videos every year till the last year when I just couldn’t be bothered any more .. after all what’s the point in either sounding like a broken record or singing fake praises..
have you see the DeD post? About wali man’s super busy day? I think that was the last of the lot.